TURNER BROTHERS ASBESTOS

Turner Brothers founded in 1871 in Rochdale, manufacturing cotton-cloth based mechanical packing used to prevent leakage of fluid such as oil and steam. In 1879, it because the first UK business to weave asbestos cloth, and the company changed its name to Turner Brothers Asbestos Company.

In 1920 they merged with the Washington Chemical Company, Newalls Insulation Company (founded as Magnesia Coverings by Frederick Newall) and J. W. Roberts to become Turner & Newall and became listed on the London Stock Exchange in that year.

In 1970, T&N became interested in the Automotive Components Industry and formed three operating divisions under the name of Payen International, Coopers Filtration and Flexitallic Gaskets.  

Turner & Newall was purchased by Federal Mogul in 1998, but at this point the wide range of health issues arising from asbestos was becoming increasingly an increasing litigious matter, and Federal Mogul separated itself from asbestos liabilities, and applied to make that part bankrupt, which approved by the Courts as they set aside a trust for the fair and equitable treatment of claims.

The relevance of this to Jointine was the rise of automotive gasket materials known as Coopers Payen, and TBA Firefly. 

Note: Gaskets were also known as “joints” and from this the Jointine brand was born.

JOINTINE PRODUCTS LTD

In 1928, in Cross Street, Lincoln, Mr James Dundas founded Jointine Products (Ltd).  The story goes that he used his wife’s wash bath and mangle to coat paper with linseed oil, effectively making it waterproof, then drying it on the washing line.  The Company went on to impregnate a range of papers with different chemicals and was responsible for the development of the Betaflex range, which was eventually sold off to Ahlstrom.

In 1938 the company moved to Tanners Lane, Lincoln, a little road which runs alongside the now Anchor pub on the High Street. 

1953 the site in North Hykeham was acquired.

In the late 1950’s following the death of his beloved wife, James Dundas sold out to Coopers Mechanical Joints of Slough and Turner Brothers Asbestos (TBA) of Rochdale.  

The site at North Hykeham was developed manufacturing speciality coated papers.  

By the end of 1960 Tanners Lane was closed completely.

In 1962, Wiggins Teape acquired controlling interest in the Company. 

WIGGINS TEAPE

Their business has roots in papermaking which date back to 1761 in London. Wiggins Teape itself was founded in 1890 in the business of wholesale stationers and paper makers.  

By 1932, the group owned 28 subsidiary companies. 

In 1962 Wiggins Teape acquired a controlling share in Jointine Products Ltd and they invested millions into the site over the next three decades.

Wiggins Teape was bought by the British American Tobacco (BAT) Industries Group in 1970, becoming a wholly owned subsidiary

In 1990, Wiggins Teape left British American Tobacco, along with another subsidiary company, Appleton eventually merging into Wiggins Teape Appleton.  

A further merger with Arjomair-Prioux in 1991, resulted in Arjo Wiggins Appleton, following which a major investment was made into a coating machine to make thermal fax paper at the North Hykeham site.

Following on the heels of this major investment came the rapid advancement of electronic PIN transactions and plain paper faxes, meaning Arjo Wiggins Appleton never managed to recover and debts began to mount.

In February 1997 the Hykeham site was closed and the coater was transferred to their other mill at Cardiff.

The gasket impregnation line was sold a short while later to Terry Coffey, an ex-employee of Wiggins Teape, in 1999 and it was brought ‘back home’ to the old Jointine site at North Hykeham.

By 2000, the Cardiff site closed and the thermal paper coater was dismantled, stored for a few years then re-erected in France.

JOINTINE PRODUCTS (LINCOLN) LTD

At the time of purchasing Jointine, the original North Hykeham site had been abandoned and placed on the market for sale.  The ‘new’ Jointine was intended to open in a brand new building behind Beevor Street in Lincoln.  Difficulties in securing the requisite gas pipelines led to Arjo Wiggins offering a solution, a return to the original site in North Hykeham.  

The site was eventually acquired by Lindum Group Limited, who have extensively developed and modernised the 21.4 acre area, investing over £5 million.  As well as being a leader in the construction industry they also offer premises for rent and the Business Park is now home to around 40 businesses.  Happily, we remain one of those businesses. 

Whilst the gasket paper making line has been a family-owned business, Jointine Products (Lincoln) Limited since 1999, under the strong influence of Terry Coffey’s ownership we carry around 70 years’ experience.  Terry himself was a former employee of Jointine Products Ltd since 1953 and he has fond memories of James Dundas, the founder of Jointine in 1928.  His picture hangs in our Conference room, alongside a picture of Jimmy.  And Jimmy’s chair and desk sit in our Director’s Office.  

Terry’s step-daughter joined the business in 2004, and is our second generation Managing Director.

We continue to make gasket paper today and supply 1,000 tonne of paper around the world each year, to more than fifty different markets.

Since 1999, the gasket paper making line has been a family-owned firm of Jointine Products (Lincoln) Limited, and under the strong influence of Terry Coffey’s ownership we continue to make gasket paper today.

We supply 1,000 tonnes of paper around the world each year, to more than fifty different markets.